Found Deceased KY - Raphael “Ray” Taliaferro, 79, radio journalist, Paducah, 10 Nov 2018

[HarvestMoon]

So is she going to let the family take Ray back to SF for burial?

Do you think she will even surface to see or claim Ray's body?

I agree with you about the hotel.

Having an extremely difficult time posting here

 

[HarvestMoon]

I wonder did she drive or fly with Ray to Illinois?

 

[RP48819]

It doesn’t look exactly up to a standard I’d stay at, like even a Best Western.

Which motel in Metropolis is that? That motel looks very sub-standard especially for someone with very upscale standards like Ray. Now I see why investigators became suspicious of the motel.

The police should be careful not to use "no foul play suspected" in their statements. No evidence of foul play directly from autopsy report. But certainly putting someone with severe dementia in a strange motel constitutes foul play. Despicable.

If that is what happened, murder or manslaughter charges are warranted. But likely will not happen unless more evidence emerges. Very difficult to prove, even though it is obvious what she did to him.

 

[RP48819]

I wonder did she drive or fly with Ray to Illinois?

Pat interviewed the Sheriff on KGO. Sheriff said Ray and wife flew out of SFO to Illinois.

 

[HarvestMoon]

. I'll fix this edit tomorrow, the site keeps rebooting on me and losing my post.

 

[RP48819]

My guess is that the wife legally has complete control of the body and funeral arrangements.

But if she does not show up to claim the body I would think the mortuary would hand it over to Ray's son. Maybe legal experts can comment in this.

 

[NervousNellie]

A few thoughts...
-LE may be saying "no foul play" as an enticement to CC to come out of hiding.
-Husband and I recently did our wills, etc. (for the first time), and no marriage certificate was needed.
-IMO, it is going to be difficult to have any criminal charges brought related to this case, but I imagine the family will contest any will (if they are excluded, and I imagine that is the case).
-RIP Mr. Taliaferro. How sad that he was robbed of his dignity in his final days/hours.

 

[Hraefn]

Marriage is essentially a legal contract requiring mental capacity to enter into. It seems his family will have strong arguments that the marriage was invalid and CC should not be entitled to anything. JMO.

 

[RP48819]

Wooded area where Ray was found.

https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=10212489663388319

This place was just a mile away from the rental car.(Assuming the car was found in the parking lot near the church where he was last seen?)

LE said forensics showed he had been living in the car for a few days.

Would think that sniffer dogs could have located him. The location where he was found was not isolated. Very near residences.

Who is this woman "Charlotte Crawford"? Does she have any criminal history?

 

[HarvestMoon]

Ray Taliaferro: No signs of foul play in radio host's death

 

[RP48819]

Nov 1o Wife reported Ray missing to Sheriff Holder, Massac County, Illinois.​

Nov 10 Church minister Henry spoke with Ray in the afternoon, in Paducah Kentucky. 10 miles away. Captured on church video...Ray also seen at Pizza and Bank on Nov 10, all within few blocks of the church. Minister at the time unaware Ray was reported as missing.

Nov 14 Rental car noticed by bank employees.

Nov 16 Bank Employees finally notify Paducah police about rental car.

Nov 18

Minister Henry finds out that Ray was reported missing, when Sheriff Holder called him.

Minister Henry said he told Holder he had surveillance video of him speaking with Taliaferro in the church entryway. Holder told him if they needed any more information, Paducah police would contact him.

“From what I was told, the officers in Paducah working were trying to find every bit of video that they could,” Sheriff Holder said.

Nov 26 Minister Henry said neither Massac County authorities nor Paducah police have inquired about the church’s video clip he reported on Nov 18, which has time stamps showing when Taliaferro was there that afternoon.

Why didn't any LE contact the minister about the video he reported on Nov 18??!

Questions around Ray Taliaferro's disappearance in Kentucky

 

[HarvestMoon]

"I'm still in the dark about a great deal of information. Apparently Ray's wife is someone he knew for quite some time. She had previously been married to a friend of his, a musician. She has taken Ray to New Jersey to be buried. I hope that is what he wanted. It's hard to believe he'd rather be buried in New Jersey than his beloved San Francisco. I hope with time we will know more."

A quote from Ray's colleague. Some answers to be had.

 

[RP48819]

"I'm still in the dark about a great deal of information. Apparently Ray's wife is someone he knew for quite some time. She had previously been married to a friend of his, a musician. She has taken Ray to New Jersey to be buried. I hope that is what he wanted. It's hard to believe he'd rather be buried in New Jersey than his beloved San Francisco. I hope with time we will know more."

A quote from Ray's colleague. Some answers to be had.

FB reply says Ray was born in NYC. Lived in SF since 1954. Perhaps he has some connections in NJ
and that was his wish but I doubt it.

I'm sure there would have been a huge turnout in SF for his funeral.

 

[Lilibet]

"I'm still in the dark about a great deal of information. Apparently Ray's wife is someone he knew for quite some time. She had previously been married to a friend of his, a musician. She has taken Ray to New Jersey to be buried. I hope that is what he wanted. It's hard to believe he'd rather be buried in New Jersey than his beloved San Francisco. I hope with time we will know more."

A quote from Ray's colleague. Some answers to be had.

If this is the CC I think it is, I looked into her very early, but thought she was still married. Digging deeper now, I see she isn’t. But she’s far from 57....she’s about 72...so I’m not sure. Anyway, time will tell.

 

[HarvestMoon]

The wife couldn't recognize dementia in Ray, given that she knew him for quite some time? Clearly he suffered more than forgetfulness.
I imagine CC will never be seen. Ray's penthouse and memorabilia will be quietly sold, that's that-Buried in New Jersey.
I still have to wonder just how cognizant Ray was when he married 6 months ago.

 

[HarvestMoon]

If this is the CC I think it is, I looked into her very early, but thought she was still married. Digging deeper now, I see she isn’t. But she’s far from 57....she’s about 72...so I’m not sure. Anyway, time will tell.

Lilibet, I never heard the sheriff give her age. For some reason Pat Thurston seems to think CC is 57, what this is based upon I don't know.
I don't imagine the son will have any access to the marriage certificate where her age would be given. I think she will remain a mystery, whereas we may never learn of her true age.

 

[NervousNellie]

Lilibet, I never heard the sheriff give her age. For some reason Pat Thurston seems to think CC is 57, what this is based upon I don't know.
I don't imagine the son will have any access to the marriage certificate where her age would be given. I think she will remain a mystery, whereas we may never learn of her true age.

My recent experience is that a marriage certificate is a public document and anyone can request a copy. I just did this for a family friend (and was told it is public and available to anyone by the clerk at the marriage bureau). For a fee, of course.

 

[HarvestMoon]

My recent experience is that a marriage certificate is a public document and anyone can request a copy. I just did this for a family friend (and was told it is public and available to anyone by the clerk at the marriage bureau). For a fee, of course.

I know. But- where did they get married? Hopefully SF.

 

[Sapphires13]

Nov 14 Rental car noticed by bank employees. ​

​

Paducah had heavy snow starting the afternoon of the 14th and continuing overnight.

A lot of local businesses closed early that night and the fact that the car was still there when everyone else was rushing to get home is probably what made bank employees notice it. When it was still there after the snow had melted, the bank probably got suspicious enough to contact police then. (The bank’s parking lot is also used for the building across the street which includes Mellow Mushroom, a brewery/bar, a coffee shop, and other businesses which is probably why it took so long for the bank to notice that it had been there unmoved for days.)

It should be noted that until police investigated the car and identified it as Ray’s rental car Paducah police were not involved in the search. Prior to that point only Massac County was looking for him.

It sounds like after he came to Paducah he maybe stayed in his car a few days in the bank parking lot, before wandering off on foot and ending up in the wooded area. It’s possible that the snow on November 14th is what drove him out of his car. Perhaps he was intending to return to West End Baptist Church in an attempt to seek help from the music minister that he’d spoken to before, but being unfamiliar with the area he took a wrong turn and ended up lost. He probably walked until he was too tired. Maybe he sat down to rest and couldn’t get back up again and ended up succumbing to exposure.

 

[rosesfromangels]

If this is the CC I think it is, I looked into her very early, but thought she was still married. Digging deeper now, I see she isn’t. But she’s far from 57....she’s about 72...so I’m not sure. Anyway, time will tell.

My research shows her as 59. I will continue to dig. I grow increasingly disturbed, and glad the son has hired someone to investigate.

Amateur opinion and speculation.